Karen’s Gospel Story

Karen Brooks
Jul 14
3 min read

Since this is my BIRTHDAY month, I want to celebrate the GIFT OF LIFE I have received in Christ!

The LOVE OF GOD has truly transformed my heart and I am passionate about sharing MY GOSPEL STORY…how I came to know and accept the GOOD NEWS of JESUS:

I experienced trauma growing up because of abandonment and abuse issues. My mother was mentally ill and an addict; she married and divorced 5 times and as a result, I suffered verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse from stepparents and a few relatives. I never felt loved, attached to or bonded with my mother or father; I felt so alone and suffered with anxiety, depression, low self-worth and insecurity. When I was 14, I experienced the trauma of being raped by an adult cousin. Since I had already been sexually molested, I thought it was my fault and what I deserved, so I made a vow that I would never tell anyone…until about 10 years ago. As a young teen, I turned to drugs and alcohol and tried to find love in all the wrong places. All of this only added to my pain and shame and I believed the lie that I wasn’t worth loving. It’s hard to have self-worth and believe in yourself when no one else ever did.

BUT…I am living proof of God’s redeeming love, power and purpose!

The Lord kept pursuing me with His unconditional love and I finally came to the place of being desperate for Him. I related so much to the woman in the Bible story in Mark chapter 5 who endured suffering for many years. When she heard about Jesus, she desperately made her way to Him in faith saying, “If I can just touch Him, I will be healed!” She was miraculously HEALED, SEEN and LOVED by Jesus when He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Now go in peace and be freed from all your suffering!” Out of my desperate need, when I prayed in faith, surrendering my heart to Christ and asking Him to forgive me of my sins, He transformed my heart with His Presence and for the first time, I felt SEEN and LOVED!! I felt my Father say to me, “Karen, my Beloved Daughter, you are healed and set free from all your suffering.”

This picture was given to me many years ago as a reminder that Jesus has always been with me…especially when I was a child going through what children should never have to experience and endure.

The LORD, my Shepherd, revealed to me that He was weeping for and with me as a little girl and held me in His Loving Arms… He gently pursued me until I came to HIM in broken surrender and discovered that I could trust HIS Heart.

He strengthened me spiritually, mentally and emotionally and brought me to the miraculous place of being able to forgive all those who caused me harm. That’s when I experienced the weight of all I had been carrying lifted from me…TRUE FREEDOM!! I have felt God’s supernatural peace, safety and security ever since I gave Him control of my life!

I will always cherish and remember the day I celebrated being “made new” by being Biblically baptized. I felt so “pure” in my heart as my old life was “buried with Christ and I was resurrected to walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4,5

Over the past 43 years I have been flourishing in my walk with Jesus and have experienced much peace, healing, restoration and freedom.

The Lord has been faithful to redeem all that the enemy meant for harm and evil in my life and I am forever grateful for HIS Redeeming Love, Power and Purpose!

I had to come to the place in my heart and life where I was ready and willing to be made well. That’s called the “gift of desperation!”